


Don't Go!

by Here-comes-the-boom (Artemis_Linard)



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Date Night, Fluff, Oneshot, Other, Protective, Ruined Date, Tumblr Prompt, lonely, platonic, poor guy, possessive, prompt, ralph has a knife, ralph just needs some love, so is your date, well not only fluff, you are understanding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-05-02 11:12:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19197607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artemis_Linard/pseuds/Here-comes-the-boom
Summary: You were planning on a nice date tonight with your cute co-worker, but Ralph is concerned for you. (A look into the life of a reader who takes Ralph into his home after a peaceful android revolution)*Tumblr prompt! Just something very small that I felt compelled to write. It's not really a 'romantic' relationship with Ralph, I think it's more platonic. Reader also refers to him as 'their' android, since Ralph really can't live alone safely. Poor guy.





	Don't Go!

You had been planning this date for a week. A cute guy from work had stopped you as you were clocking out of your shift last Wednesday if you wanted to go see the new Josh Rick III movie that had just come to your local movie theater. Of course you said yes- you were totally into this guy. Having a good taste in action movies was a nice plus. There was only one thing that you needed to take care of...

Ralph. Ralph is a the blonde WR600 model android who had moved in with you a few weeks ago after the peaceful android revolution. There hadn't been much time for the dust to settle and lots of legalities were still being discussed, so for the meantime, you were his owner. 

The WR600 had been in rough shape when you found him, having just been released from one of the android camps set up around Detroit. The chasis of his face was horribly damaged on the left side and he was in tattered clothing. He looked lost, like a child. You felt a strong desire to offer him help.

You had no doubt Ralph was thankful. After moving in you'd bought him some clothes you thought would fit and also scheduled him a visit to the repair shop. It was expensive but the least you could do for this being who had nothing. Now he was looking much better. The crushed plastic on his face was still hard to adjust to seeing without wincing but the new clothes really did help his overall appearance. Green sweaters, warm dark jeans, things that the Android helped pick out when you were shopping online. Looking at the damage to his face, you hope the repair shop can actually do something. It was extensive, deep. and his eye on that side looked akin to a sky full of constellations... beautiful, but unseeing. You figured you'd help him get a new eye at the beginning of the month when you got paid. At least, if you’d recovered from this months spending spree. It was hard to make it by here in Detroit on your own and the extra expenses spent meant you had dug into your meager savings.  
You were lost in thought as you opened the door to your apartment and were promptly greeted by the aforementioned android. 

"H-hello there! Ralph is very glad to see you home!" Ralph said cheerily. The LED on the side of his head that indicated his mood was a serene blue. It was always blue when he spoke to you. Only a handful of times had you seen it cycle through a nervously processing yellow and a highly stressed red. The placid blue seemed impossible to achieve when you first found him, but gradually he was learning to trust you. His LED was blue more often now. 

Sometimes Ralph would get a far away look in his eyes where he didn’t seem to recognize anything. It was like he was in a trance. He’d start talking in another room and you’d go to find him. When you found him the first time he was in the bathroom looking into the tub and apologizing to some phantom. You thought it was a malfunction, but the level of disassociation he shows is more like something you’d see with a person who has some personality or mental disorder. Though, you were no psychologist. It could be anything. When you tried to talk to him or touch him when he was ‘in a trance’ he would flinch away from you and his LED would go red, scared like an animal. 

That wasn’t as bad as the time he carved ‘RA9’ into some of the tiles with a kitchen knife. You had been so angry at him. Ralph had taken one look at your angry face and fled, like a small child. It hurt your heart. Since then, you’d made a resolve not to get angry at Ralph for the quirks that seemed beyond his control. Because while his outbreaks happened once or twice a week, his normal cognitive behavior had seen drastic improvement over the course of his time with you. It seemed that, free from the constant fear, stress, and loneliness that Ralph had endured on his own, his personality had begun to shine.

Huh. Kind of like you.

"Hey Ralph, I'm happy to be off work. Long day!" You said. Surprisingly he noticed the spring in your step.

"Ralph can see you had a good day." He said, following after you and standing a few feet away nervously while you kicked off your shoes. You consider not saying anything but give in with a cheesy grin. You had to tell someone.

"I got asked on a date." You say. Ralph looks surprised. "By the cute guy with the beard I told you about. I told him yes and we're going out next Friday." You feel your heart thump in anticipation.

Ralph's expression glows. "Ralph is very happy for you! Ralph likes it when you smile." The android delivers warmly. You laugh a little, smile widening. 

You think nothing else about the date or Ralph and continue with the week.

\---------------------------------------------------

"D-don't go." Ralph is frantic, the LED on his head flickering between yellow and red. It's the following Friday after your date discussion.

"Ralph, what are you doing? I'm already late!" You say, wanting to be patient with the android but unable to. You're frustrated. Your date is tonight, and as it was, you weren't going to meet them on time anyway. 

The android- your android- suddenly pulls something out of his pocket. You gawk, taking a hesitant step back, bringing up your arm defensively. 

"Ralph, what the hell dude! You just pulled a knife on me!" You exclaim. The android's LED goes red in alarm and he looks at his hand, to the dull blade he held. Ralph seems frightened, disbelieving. But then those poorly heterchromatic eyes are boring into you. He adjusts his grip on the knife, staying put where he stood between you and the door.

"Ralph d-doesn't think you should go out tonight." He says hesitantly.

"It's okay buddy, it's only for a few hours."

"But what if the human wants to hurt you?" The blonde android insisted. His lips trembled. "Ralph wouldn't want to see you get hurt." There’s more static in his voice than there normally is. It tends to sound worse when he’s upset.

He's a nice guy, I know him from work. He wouldn't hurt me. I wish you could trust me on this." You try to persuade Ralph with as much sincerity in your voice as possible. “Besides, you’re the more dangerous one right now, buddy.” The android looks like he won't budge, but then his LED turns back to yellow. 

Ralph lowers the knife. He is suddenly very shy looking and he drops the knife, stepping quickly up to you. It's startling, but you try not to flinch. Any extra move might set the android off again. He looks like he's deep in thought though and probably wouldn't have noticed even if you'd flailed your arms.

You're compelled to reach out to him. Just your hand on his helps him calm down visibly.

"Ralph doesn't want you to go on a date with that human. He wants..." Ralph blurts, then clamps his mouth shut. In an unexpectedly physical gesture the android takes your hand in both of his. He won't meet your gaze and charges on blindly. "Ralph would much rather you go on a date with him." He confesses. "Ralph has seen many go, many hurt him. Ralph doesn't want you to leave, too."

Ralph looks like he might cry.

You feel your mouth drop open. You don't know what prompted the display of affection from your scarred and strange android, but you feel a pulse of emotion from it. Poor Ralph had already been through so much, hurt and abandoned by his previous owners. Even as you try to catch his gaze, which he resolutely avoids, you feel your resolve crumble. Sigh. You squeeze his hand.

"Okay, Ralph... I won't go tonight. We can do something, just me and you." You smile. Ralph looks elated, his whole countenance shifting. He's like a child, bouncing on the heels of his feet. 

"Great! Oh..." Ralph deflates. "R-Ralph is very sorry. He.. he doesn't know what came over him." He says, tone broken. You shake your head.

"It's okay. You wouldn't hurt me." You tell him. He just pulled a knife on you but you felt those words with conviction. It's hard to put into words the look he gives you because it's not one you anticipated seeing on an android. It was such a raw human emotion. Gratitude, trust, grief, hope. The level of it was too much for you, so you gave his hand one last squeeze before pulling it away. You go to hang your coat back up and take your phone out to send your would-be date a quick text. Hopefully he wouldn't mind rescheduling. 

The two of you decide on a lighthearted movie that you play from your laptop. You don't think Ralph really followed the story or cared, but he was happy where he sat cuddled with you on the couch. Your date turned out to be a little bummed, but very understanding. Maybe another time.

Yes, maybe another time.


End file.
